‘Sordid Lives’ dues battle continues

Stan Brooks can't pay guilds $1.6 million settlement

The battle between Stan Brooks and the town’s unions over unpaid “Sordid Lives” residuals remains unresolved.

Brooks had threatened to file for bankruptcy if the American Federation of Television & Radio Artists, the Directors Guild of America, the Writers Guild of America and the union reps for the Motion Picture Industry health fund failed to agree to his sweetened settlement offer by 5 p.m. PDT Friday. Brooks had asserted earlier Friday that he had nearly doubled his original $242,000 offer to settle nonpayment of $1.6 million.

The unions responded shortly after the deadline by saying that they needed more time, then AFTRA revised the statement to cover only AFTRA — whose members are due $1.2 million of the unpaid $1.6 million. “AFTRA has informed Mr. Brooks’ attorneys that we require more time to review the latest settlement offer with our members,” the statement said.

AFTRA had no comment on Sunday but a source close to the situation said the union had made Brooks a counteroffer.

An arbitrator ruled in August that Brooks and his companies were liable to the unions for $1.6 million in unpaid residuals, unpaid health and retirement contributions and late payment penalties. Brooks began warning in August that he would file for bankruptcy if members of the Hollywood unions turned down his $242,000 offer.

Brooks is a longtime TV producer with credits including “Broken Trail,” and “Call Me: The Rise and Fall of Heidi Fleiss.”